I am Wind:
An Autobiography
Illustrated by Rachel Wada
Tundra Books, 2024
In this award-winning mock-autobiography for middle-grade readers, Wind tells fascinating stories that describe their cultural, historical and technical importance to humans.
Make no mistake: Wind is not shy or humble. Wind is violent, impulsive, arrogant and unpredictable — now playing with a kite, then tearing down a forest.
With the help of diagrams and fact-filled sidebars, Wind explains what causes the air to move, describes their favorite forms (katabatics, hurricanes, tornadoes) and shows how they influence the landscape (sand dunes, wind power). Readers will come to know the full breadth of Wind’s physical, historical and psychological presence. Moving seamlessly between science, history and myth, this book is an engrossing and unique look at an elemental force.
REVIEWS
Juxtaposing a poetic narration of wind telling its own ‘life story’ with myths, folk traditions, historical vignettes, and the solid science behind wind’s power and mystery, [I Am Wind] expresses an artistic and literary aesthetic not often seen in science texts for younger scholars. —STARRED REVIEW, School Library Journal
Storm-swept illustrations carry a full bag of facts, myths, legends, and original poems about our planet’s winds. Poliquin’s free verse expressions alternate with short but clear explanations in prose and Wada’s vivid, sometimes schematic depictions of types and causes of storms, from destructive katabatic winds to hurricanes and tornados. —Kirkus Reviews
The lengthy work underscores how humans have used the wind’s movements to explore and sail, to harness power via windmills, and, more recently, to generate electricity. Wada uses rhythmically stroked, digitally finished visuals to convey the subject’s movement, ranging from scenes in which a child’s hair ribbon is tossed by the breeze to those of destruction wrought by tornadoes and hurricanes. —Publishers Weekly
Wada’s mixed-media illustrations echo the emotions in the text, swirling color and linear elements to depict the flow of wind and the movement of objects in its wake. —The Horn Book
This lushly illustrated STEAM picture book takes the form of an autobiography of a mysterious force: the wind. Written in original free-form poetry, this work introduces various deities drawn from Greek, Sumerian, Hawaiian, Chinese, Hindu, and Iroquois traditions, all connected to the wind. —Booklist
AWARDS
WINNER 2024 Science Writers and Communicators of Canada Book Award – Youth Category
NOMINEE 2026 Hackmatack Children’s Choice Book Award
SELECTION 2025 BRAW Amazing Bookshelf
SHORTLIST 2026 Chocolate Lily Award
SHORTLIST 2025 Lane Anderson Award
SHORTLIST 2025 Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award